According to the AFP, South Korea will introduce new regulations to limit teenagers' use of mobile phones because mounting bills are becoming a common problem for many Korean households. Starting next year, teen's mobile contract will be different, it will contain a recommendation that teenagers and their parents join an existing bill ceiling system under which teenagers cannot spend more than the equivalent of 40 dollars a month. The contract will also advise teenagers and their parents on how to prevent the excessive use of services and more detailed information about the services they use.
""I think this is the first system in the world aimed at guiding teenagers to use their cell phones responsibly," said Hong Sung-Wan, of the telecommunications ministry. The new regulations are aimed at providing the parents with means to put tabs on their children's use of mobile services and control it," he said.
According to government statistics, more than four million of the country's six million teenagers have their own mobile phones. "The number of teenagers who are aged between 13 and 18 and are charged more than 100,000 won (108 dollars) every month is 100,000," Hong told AFP, adding that favourite services include online games and text messages."
[via AFP]
From consumers' perspective this is a positive governmental intervention providing parents more tools to manage their teenagers' monthly mobile spendings. However, from the mobile operators' point of view this actually means kissing goodbye to ~$6,800,000 every month(!) if all youth subscribers will join the bill ceiling system under of $40 a month. Will mobile operators let this happen without a fight?
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